This Week in Microbiology

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TWiM #146: Viral arbitrium Feb 23, 2017

Show notes

Vincent, Elio and Michael discuss the finding of a prion in bacteria, and how communication between bacteria guides the decision between lysis and lysogeny.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Elio Schaechter.

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ASM 2017 Election is Open! VOTE HERE
Prions in bacteria (Science)
Communication guides lysis-lysogeny decisions (Nature)

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TWiM Special: Q fever with Robert Heinzen Feb 16, 2017

Show notes

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Robert Heinzen

At the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, Vincent speaks with Robert Heinzen about the work of his laboratory on Q fever and its causative microbe, Coxiella burneti.

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Links for this episode

Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

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TWiM #145: Anything but academic Feb 09, 2017

Show notes

Vincent meets up with Catharine Bosio, Michael Merchlinsky, and Shilpa Gadwal at the ASM Biothreats meeting to talk about careers for scientists outside of the ivory tower.

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TWiM #144: Did eukaryotes invent anything? Jan 26, 2017

Show notes

The TWiMers discuss how changes in domestic laundering affect the removal of microorganisms, and assembly of a nucleus-like structure during viral replication in bacteria.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.

Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

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Links for this episode

Laundry hygiene (J Appl Micro)
Nucleus-like structure in infected bacteria (Science)
Video of nucleus assembly in bacteria (YouTube)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiM 144

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TWiM #143: E-scaffolds and receptor transfer Jan 12, 2017

Show notes

Vincent, Michael, and Michele explain the use of an electrochemical gradient to eliminate bacterial biofilms, and how phage susceptibility can be transferred by exchange of receptor proteins.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson.

Right click to download TWiM#143 (32 MB .mp3, 66 minutes).

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Links for this episode

Electrochemical scaffold to eliminate persistent biofilms (npj Biofilms Microbiomes)
Experimental setup for electrochemical treatment of biofilm (pdf, from article)
Acquisition of phage sensitivity by transfer of cell receptors (Cell)
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Letters read on TWiM 143

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TWiM #142: A membrane-thickness caliper Dec 29, 2016

Show notes

Vincent, Elio and Michele wind up a year of microbial podcasts with a story about the lack of resistance to a crop antifungal compound, and how a bacterium uses a molecular caliper to measure membrane thickness.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.

Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

Links for this episode

Phenylpyrroles: Nearly no resistance (Front Micro)
Membrane-thickness caliper (J Bact)
Letters read on TWiM 142

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TWiM #141: Nutritional immunity and polymicrobial infections Dec 15, 2016

Show notes

Jennifer joins Vincent, Elio, and Michael to talk about the work of her laboratory on how a respiratory virus enhances bacterial growth by dysregulating nutritional immunity.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michael Schmidt.

Guest: Jennifer Bomberger

Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

Links for this episode

Virus dysregulation of nutritional immunity (PNAS)
Podcast article mentioned by Michael
Compromised defenses (PLoS Path)

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TWiM 140: Small town, big science Dec 01, 2016

Show notes

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Marie Antonioli, Bryan Hansen, Forrest Jessop, Kyle Shifflet and Jim Striebel

At the Hamilton, Montana Performing Arts Center, Vincent speaks with three local high school graduates and two high school teachers about how Rocky Mountain Laboratories influenced school science programs and opened up career opportunities.

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Links for this episode

Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

TWiM #139: Frackibacter and sticky fingers Nov 18, 2016

Show notes

The TWiM team discusses microbial DNA found on ATM machines in New York City, and how hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, alters microbial ecosystems deep in the Earth.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.

Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

Links for this episode

Microbial DNA on ATM machines in NYC (mSphere)
NYC OpenData
Altering deep microbial ecosystems by fracking (Nat Micro)
Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory
Chemicals used for fracking (FracFocus)
Marcellus and Utica shale formation map
Consequences of fracking (GasBuddy)
Image credit

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TWiM #138: Learning to love uranium and the A-baum Nov 03, 2016

Show notes

The TWiM team brings you a bacterium from a Colorado field site that grows on uranium, and copper resistance in the emerging pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii.

Hosts:

Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.

Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

Links for this episode

Kavli Microbiome Ideas Challenge
Uranium-respiring bacterium from a field site (PLoS One)
Acid mine drainage (Wikipedia)
Copper resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii
ASM Grant Writing Online Course
TWiM #132: Bacteria learn long division
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This episode is also brought to you by Drobo, a family of safe, expandable, yet simple to use storage arrays. Drobos are designed to protect your important data forever. Visit www.drobo.com to learn more. Listeners can save $100 on a Drobo system at drobostore.com by using the discount code Microbe100.

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